I'm a very happy person right now!!! Why, do you ask?? Because today I conducted my first training class at work!!! I have always been an unofficial trainer of sorts on every job that I have had. I have mentored new employees and taught them the most detail-oriented, efficient way to do the job that I am in and I have always done an excellent job of it. However, today was the first day that the training department actually asked me to conduct a training class on an application that we use daily. Of course, being no stranger to public speaking or the spotlight, I agreed. Of course, because I am a textbook perfectionist and your typical over-achiever, I created my PowerPoint presentation yesterday and created a full-color job aid with laminated flowchart for my classmates to post in their cubicles as a reference. I delivered the presentation, and the trainer for the class I am in was, in her words, "just blown away!" She knew that I had had some previous experience in training, and that I had expressed a desire to transfer into the training department, so in a way, this was a test.

The feedback I got back from the course was awesome!!! I had a trainer from Jackson, MS as well as the local Training & Development director sit in on my presentation, and based on the reactions and feedback from my classmates, nobody could find anything wrong with the material!!! The feedback I got back from the trainers themselves was even better! I was told that the presentation was very informative, with just enough detail so as not to overwhelm the class, and it was an excellent high-level overview! Because I also incorporated a live demonstration of the application, I was able to drill down to highlight the most important parts of the application that will be used and made sure everyone understood why we used the application as well as the benefits and features of the application.

This is a big accomplishment for me -- I only hope that this will be my entree into the training department and get me off the phones forever!!!

Let's celebrate ME!!!!